Carrot Cake Blondies with Cream Cheese Swirl
These carrot cake blondies take all the flavors of a classic carrot cake and make them into a chewy, easy-to-eat carrot cake bar! Packed with warm spices and finely shredded carrots, these chewy bars get swirled with sweetened cream cheese, mimicking your favorite cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 16
Calories: 197kcal
Equipment
- Whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut optional
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease then line an 8x8” baking pan with parchment paper with slight overhangs.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking powder, and salt and set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously for one minute.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and mix it together with a rubber spatula. Then, fold in the shredded carrots and coconut, if using, until evenly distributed. Set aside.1 cup finely shredded carrots, ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese and granulated sugar with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until smooth. Add the sour cream, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined.4 oz cream cheese, 2 tablespoons sour cream, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add ⅓ of the carrot cake batter to the pan and spread evenly to cover the bottom. Then, use a large cookie scoop to alternate adding scoops of the carrot cake batter and cheesecake batter randomly all over the pan.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the batters together, then bake for 20-25 minutes until no longer raw in the center.
- Cool for one hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
Store the bars covered in the fridge for up to one week.
Tips:
- Don't over-mix the batter when adding the dry ingredients, otherwise, it can lead to tough, gummy blondies.
- Don't over-swirl the blondies when combining the batters for the best appearance.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1672IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
